Cloven Hoof have set September 25, 2026 as the release date for their tenth studio album, Never A Prophet In Your Own Land, through High Roller Records. The first taste of the record arrives with the lyric video for the single “Iron Mask”.
The upcoming album brings together different sides of Cloven Hoof‘s sound, mixing mid-paced material, faster tracks, epic arrangements and classic heavy metal anthems. Frontman Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin of Jag Panzer, who has led the band’s vocals for the past three and a half years, once again delivers a standout performance.
Bassist Lee Payne credits the singer for raising the bar, saying: “The praise is all Harry‘s. We are indeed fortunate to have such a brilliant vocalist and frontman in the band.”
Payne also explained that the new release follows its own path instead of revisiting the approach of the previous record.
“Never A Prophet In Your Own Land is not in fact a direct continuation of [2024’s] Heathen Cross. Heathen Cross had its own darkly heavy and brooding atmosphere. Never A Prophet In Your Own Land resembles A Sultan’s Ransom more closely, yet this resemblance was not contrived or planned. It just turned out that way.”
Speaking about the writing process behind Never A Prophet In Your Own Land, Payne emphasized the band’s current creative momentum.
“We wanted to make this album as rich and varied as we could, to show how far the band has progressed musically.
We are in a golden place right now, and the whole record-writing process happens organically.
This album has everything you could wish for in the heavy metal genre. It shows our versatility in a way that A Sultan’s Ransom did eclectically. But it takes this versatility one step further in the most satisfying album we have ever done.”
One of the enduring names to emerge from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Cloven Hoof trace their roots back to 1979, when they first performed under the name Nightstalker. Two years later they adopted the Cloven Hoof name, with the original lineup of vocalist David Potter, guitarist Steve Rounds, drummer Kevin Poutney, and bassist Lee Payne performing under the stage identities “Earth”, “Fire”, “Water” and “Air”.
After recording demo versions of songs including “Return Of The Passover” and “Nightstalker”, the band issued the EP The Opening Ritual in 1982 through Elemental Music. Their first full-length, Cloven Hoof, followed in 1984, with Fighting Back arriving in 1986, Dominator in 1988 and A Sultan’s Ransom in 1989.
Following a break during the 1990s, Cloven Hoof returned in 2006 with Eye Of The Sun. The band added Resist Or Serve in 2014 before releasing Who Mourns For The Morning Star? in 2017, both through High Roller Records. That album opened the door to the group’s first North American tour. Since then, Cloven Hoof have expanded their catalog with Age Of Steel in 2020 via Pure Steel Records, Time Assassins in 2022 through FM Revolver, and Heathen Cross in 2024 on High Roller Records.
Two years ago, Payne spoke highly of Conklin‘s arrival in the lineup, stating: “Harry Conklin is a world-class vocalist. He is super dedicated and highly professional, and we knew he would fit in the band seamlessly. Harry is an astounding singer. He is so versatile. He can sing high, low, and always with power and passion. He knows how to live and sell a song. Harry is like an actor telling a story. No one interprets my lyrics like Mr. Conklin. I can’t praise him enough.”
